


love, your competition

by YourLocalStressedPotato



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, But only out loud, Everyone Is Gay, Falling In Love, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Kozume Kenma is Bad at Feelings, M/M, No Angst (at least not yet), No sleep for anyone, and they are dying, because they are college students
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:00:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourLocalStressedPotato/pseuds/YourLocalStressedPotato
Summary: And it was… it was nice. It was nice how easy it was.Kenma blamed it on how early it was and how the weather had put him in a good mood.Kuroo eventually finished the coffee, setting a little brown plastic lid on it. Before Kenma could take it from him though, he grabbed a Sharpie from the counter and scribbled something on the cup. He handed it to Kenma with one of those smiles.“Have a good day, Kenma. Come see me again sometime.”~(The fic where Kenma falls in love quietly and Kuroo falls in love as if someone shoved him off an airplane)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma & Sugawara Koushi, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo Tetsurou & Oikawa Tooru, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooooo! Welcome to my Haikyuu coffee shop AU! Honest to god, had no plans to write this, but I'm such a sucker for these and I just need some good Kuroken fluff in my life rn. I'm planning on either two or three chapters, depending on how much I write in the next few days, so we'll see how that goes. Hope you enjoy, sorry this first part is so short!

Kenma didn’t actually know _how_ he’d gotten the manager position after Daichi had quit. He didn’t particularly like people, and he didn’t think he was cut out for the work. Even funnier; he didn’t even like coffee that much.

Yet here he was, manager of the most popular cafe in town. 

It was already too early to put up with his co-workers. 

“Hey Kenma, if I put money in the register, can I make myself a coffee?” Lev shouted from the front of the store. 

“Good god, Haiba!” Suga yelled a moment later. “That is way too much espresso!” 

Kenma sighed, squeezing his eyes shut. He poked his head out of the back room to see Lev, pumping espresso into a large cup. Suga watched him, looking horrified. Kenma blinked. Then blinked again. That was a lot of espresso.

“You’re paying double for that,” Kenma said at last. Lev whirled to him, already pouting. Suga discreetly positioned himself in between Lev and the espresso container. “We don’t give customers that much. And if you crash on the job later I’ll take it out of your salary.” 

“Is that legal?” Yahaba asked from across the store. He was cleaning the windows like they had to do every Monday morning before they opened. Kyoutani stuck to his side, looking tired and angry. As always. 

“Don’t care,” Kenma replied. He reached for one of the sky blue aprons, slipping it over his head and tying it with deft fingers. 

“Working a register with me today then, Kenma?” Suga asked, holding his hand out for an apron. Kenma reached back into their little break room and grabbed one, tossing it to him. “Didn’t think you liked dealing with people.” 

Suga’s voice was light and teasing, and despite what most people thought, Kenma actually loved it. Suga always brightened his mood considerably, with his smiles and lilting jokes that never went too far. 

Kenma didn’t say any of that. Instead he shrugged, moving for the furthest register, perching on the black stool. That had been his first policy as manager. If you worked the register, you got to sit. 

“Felt like it today,” he said. Suga snorted, hooking a stool with his foot and sitting at the second register. 

“So unlike you.” 

“Oh, shut up.”

Suga hummed, looking away, but he was smiling. 

“We open in five minutes, Yahaba,” Kyoutani said eventually. Yahaba groaned and began drying off the windows, letting out the occasional shriek when Kyoutani let the stool he was standing on wobble. 

It wasn’t long before they were behind the counter, aprons on, making last minute adjustments to the pastry cases and stealing kisses. It was probably a violation of some health code or another to kiss behind the counter, but Kenma couldn’t bring himself to care. They were in love and it was early and Kenma realized distantly, _I want something like that_. 

What? No, he had not just thought that. 

Two minutes past opening, they got their first customer. 

Kenma looked up from his lap, where he’d been fiddling with his hands, when he heard the chime of the bell. It was such a cheery noise, Kenma sometimes hated it. Other times it was calming. Today though, he barely heard it. Not when he saw the person that walked through the door.

“Morning!” Lev said as the man approached. Kenma watched him, the grace of his stride and the sweep of his eyes as he surveyed the shop. Blue flowers, white countertops, wood tables. The menu written in Suga’s scrawling, elegant hand with chalk. He took it all in almost lazily, with eyes that shone like a cat’s. 

And when those eyes landed on Kenma… 

The man smiled, looking away after a split second. Kenma blinked. 

“What can I get you?” Lev asked. The stranger set his elbows on the countertop as he read the menu. The motion spoke of such ease. Kenma would have been jealous if he was the kind of person to care about things like that. 

Kenma would have pegged the man as someone steady and put-together, albeit a little cocky. Kenma still thought that, but it was _hair_ that kept drawing his attention. Black as crow’s feathers and as messy as one of their nests. It was honestly a bit impressive and weirdly? The man pulled it off. 

“I’ll just have an iced coffee, please,” he said at last, shoving off the counter to reach for his wallet. Kenma tried to ignore the fact that he was wearing skinny jeans and that he looked really hot in them. 

_Stop, stop, stop. You will literally never see this guy again. Quit being weird._

Lev nodded and reached for a cup, beginning to make the drink. It was so simple, but Lev would figure out a way to spill something. Yahaba watched him closely. 

The man pulled out a five dollar bill and walked down the counter to pay but Suga, the piece of shit, hopped off his stool and sauntered into the break room with a grin in Kenma’s direction. 

So he’d noticed Kenma staring. 

The man stopped in front of Kenma with another smile. It was easy and sly and up close, his eyes were deep hazel. 

“2.89,” Kenma said, holding his hand out for the bill. The man passed it over. 

“Mm, I like your hair,” he said after a beat. Kenma grabbed change out of the register, coins jingling in his palm. Kenma met those catlike eyes as he passed the change over. The man was still smirking slightly. 

“Thanks.”

Lev popped up beside Kenma, handed over the drink with a chirpy goodbye, and then was gone. Kenma looked down at his hands again. When had he gotten that cut on his thumb? He felt the man’s stare on his head. 

_Now take your drink and leave so that I can never think about you again._

“Ya know, I actually had a question about all this.”

Kenma looked up again, reigning in a sigh. He was going to murder Suga later. But the stranger was leaning against the counter with one arm, gently biting at the blue straw with the side of his mouth, and Kenma’s stomach did a little swoop. Why did he have to be so… attractive? This early? It was too much for Kenma’s tired mind. 

“Yeah?” 

“Is it a hard business to run?” He must have made note of the tiny manager pin on Kenma’s uniform. 

“The cafe?” Kenma looked him up and down. He hadn’t prepared to answer questions about his job to random strangers today. “I guess sometimes it’s a little tiring, only getting two break days a week.” 

The man nodded, then abruptly stuck out his hand. Kenma was keenly aware of Yahaba, Kyoutani, Suga, and Lev all staring holes into the back of his head as he shook it. The stranger’s hand was big and warm and slightly callused. 

“I’m Kuroo, by the way,” he said, flashing another smile. “I’m only asking cause I’m opening my own business. Little bit nervous, seeking advice, all that.” 

Kenma nodded. 

“I’m Kenma.” He usually didn’t give strangers his name. He could almost hear Yahaba’s eyes bugging out of his head. “And I understand.”

Kuroo took a small drink. “I’ll leave you alone now, Kenma. You don’t seem like the type for small-talk.” 

When Kenma opened his mouth to protest- even if Kuroo was right, Kenma didn’t want to seem _rude-_ Kuroo held his hands up with a laugh. It was a horrible laugh, but it was bright and so achingly real that Kenma wanted to hear it again. 

“Don’t worry! I’m not offended. Honestly, the people that I work with are completely unaware that such a thing as silence exists. It can be a bit tiring. I get it.” 

Kenma nodded. Kuroo had described it nicely. He had no problem with people who talked a lot, even if he wouldn’t join in the conversation himself. Kuroo seemed like one of those talkers. But every now and then, Kenma needed his quiet. 

“It’s also early as shit though,” Kuroo added, as if as an afterthought. 

“It’s seven forty,” Kenma said before he could stop himself. He agreed- heavens knew he agreed- but something in him wanted to poke fun at the stranger with the cat eyes and graceful stride. Something in him wanted to keep the stranger here for as long as he could. 

Kuroo pointed his drink at Kenma as if he’d made some magnificent point. The bell dinged again. Kenma ignored it. 

“Exactly. Early.”

“That’s not early.” 

“It’s not good to get into a habit of telling lies, Kenma.” 

Kuroo’s lips were curved into a smirk. Kenma made a face at him, and he laughed that awful, real laugh. Kenma snickered too, just a little. It was… nice. To laugh. 

“Ah, well, I hope I’ll see you around. Come visit me sometime,” Kuroo said, already turning away and making for the door. Kenma watched his retreating back. 

“I don’t know where your store is!” Kenma called out as Kuroo set a hand on the door. He turned his head with a dangerous smile. Dangerous, but playful. Mirth danced in his eyes that Kenma could see even an entire room apart. 

“Trust me, you won’t miss it.” He shoved the door open, hand waving behind him. “Later, Kenma.” 

Suga came back out the minute Kuroo left to deal with the new customer. He was grinning a huge grin. Kenma just stared at the door and the golden sunshine pouring through it. It must have been something about how early it was, or maybe the light had been messing with his senses. 

But sitting at the register, a terrible laugh echoing in his ears, Kenma wanted Kuroo to come back and talk to him a little bit longer. 

  
  


* * *

Kenma had Wednesdays and Saturdays off, and they typically weren’t open on Sundays unless someone placed an order online. Kenma always let Yahaba handle Sundays. He liked having the shop to himself and Kyoutani, so they could play music as loud as they wanted to. 

Wednesday, however, Kenma got up at eight. He was going to take a walk downtown, see if he could find Kuroo’s store. Strangely enough, he wanted to see him again. 

Kenma blamed it on how late he’d stayed up last night. Lack of sleep was muddling his brain. 

But he threw on a t-shirt and shorts and plugged in his headphones. Sometimes he listened to podcasts, sometimes it was music. The moment he stepped outside and felt the breeze- a breeze that remedied how hot it already was- he knew it was a music day. 

He thumbed to his playlist as he began walking. He’d rented the apartment when he’d decided what university he was going to, and his roommate, Shoyo, had helped him cover the expenses. It was fairly close to everything. His college, his cafe, the game shop. 

Downtown wasn’t busy, not on a Wednesday morning. Cherry blossom trees dotted the sidewalks, and Kenma felt oddly grounded by the pavement beneath his feet and the sun on his face. 

He turned a corner, skirting around a few college students. He didn’t recognize any of them. He saw the cafe, knew that today it would be Terushima, Yamaguchi, Osamu, and Tsukki. Didn’t know if he could deal with that today; decided he would anyways. 

Well, he had decided that until he saw the storefront across the street. 

It was unfamiliar. New. The awning was yellow and white, and there were green and pink cartoon flowers painted on the windows. It looked cozy and inviting, and it hit Kenma suddenly that this was what Kuroo had meant. 

_You won’t miss it._

No kidding. 

Almost everything about their stores was different, but that jingling bell was the same. 

A few people sat at the white topped tables, sipping coffee and typing on laptops. Instrumental pop music played from hidden speakers. At the counter, Kuroo looked up from whatever he had been doing, a smile jumping to his face. Next to him, a brown haired man turned away from whatever drink he’d been making to look at Kenma. The other person at the counter, a black haired man, didn’t look up. 

“Kenma,” Kuroo greeted in that deep voice of his. Kenma stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts along with his headphones. “Welcome. Told you you wouldn’t miss it.” 

“Ah, this is Kenma?” The brunette asked Kuroo, nudging him with an elbow. Kuroo snorted. Kenma pulled a confused expression. Had Kuroo talked about him? 

“I said your name once and Oikawa latched on like the little leech he is,” Kuroo explained, obviously reading Kenma’s face. “I’m not a pervert or anything.” 

“He’s lying,” Oikawa said to Kenma in a stage whisper, moving back to his coffee with a giggle as Kuroo batted at him. When Kuroo looked back to Kenma, his eyes were fond. 

“Hey, Kuroo,” Kenma finally said. Kuroo laughed, then offered a little finger wiggle. “You didn’t tell me you were also opening a cafe.” 

That meant Kuroo was his competitor now. 

Kuroo grinned. 

“Hm, I almost didn’t, after I saw yours. But then I figured… This could be fun.”

“Tetsu is just annoying like that,” Oikawa said, adding some whip cream and a plastic lid to a coffee and yelling a name. A blonde girl came to grab it with a flirty smile that Oikawa completely ignored. 

“You’re one to talk,” Kuroo retorted, sticking his nose in the air. “Iwaizumi calls me nightly to complain about you.” 

Oikawa gasped in mock outrage. 

“He does not!” 

“Yes, I do.” A shorter man with spiky hair walked out of the back room, wearing the same yellow apron as Oikawa and Kuroo. Kenma didn’t want to think about how good Kuroo looked in yellow. “You’re so annoying, Shittykawa, it’s unbelievable.”

Oikawa made a noise of distress. The new worker- Iwaizumi, Kenma assumed- shot Kuroo a look before fisting his hand in Oikawa’s shirt collar and slamming their mouths together. 

Kenma snorted. Kuroo turned away, fake gagging. He leaned on the counter like he always did, towards Kenma. His cat eyes were almost glowing again. 

“I’m so sorry about that, ignore them. Iwa gets all touchy when he’s pissy. Oikawa is always like that.” 

“I have the same problem with two of mine. It’s fine,” Kenma said, scanning the menu. Fairly basic. A few things he hadn’t seen before, and almost all of it looked good. Kuroo noticed his attention, he must have, because he snapped his fingers. 

“I’m being so inconsiderate today,” he said. “Do you want something to drink? Eat? I think Akaashi made the pastries today, so they’re bound to be good. Actually, you’re lucky you came on an Akaashi day. I shudder to think of what Tendou does to that poor dough.” 

Kenma laughed a little bit, and he could have sworn Kuroo’s eyes brightened. 

“I’ll just have a mocha,” he told Kuroo, who nodded and rang it up. “I’m not all that hungry.” 

“Ugh, I hear you.” He held his hand out and Kenma passed him some cash. “So, you off every Wednesday, or did you just miss me that badly?” 

Kenma wrinkled his nose, and Kuroo laughed the same free-spirited laugh as last time. 

“The first one, I take it?” 

Kenma made a noise of agreement. 

Kuroo snickered again as he went about making Kenma’s coffee. Kenma waited by the counter, toying absentmindedly with a quarter. 

“You go to college nearby?” Kuroo asked, pouring steaming hot coffee into a cup. He kept up a steady stream of conversation, but he was so good at making sure Kenma wouldn’t have to give long explanations. Instead, Kenma heard about his biochemistry degree and his two roommates, Bokuto and Atsumu. Kenma thought that was funny, because Osamu was Atsumu’s twin brother. Kuroo recalled long talks where Atsumu complained about Osamu. 

And it was… it was nice. It was nice how easy it was. 

Kenma blamed it on how early it was and how the weather had put him in a good mood. 

Kuroo eventually finished the coffee, setting a little brown plastic lid on it. Before Kenma could take it from him though, he grabbed a Sharpie from the counter and scribbled something on the cup. He handed it to Kenma with one of those smiles. 

“Have a good day, Kenma. Come see me again sometime.” 

Kenma found himself nodding, and then smiling, and then waving his goodbye. 

The bell jingled happily behind him as the sun and the breeze swallowed the quiet noise of the cafe. 

Kenma looked down at the cup. On it, in messy handwriting, Kuroo had written a number. Below it were the words: 

_Here’s hoping you’ll text me some time._

_Love, your competition._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma began to associate a certain spot at the counter with Kuroo, due to how much he leaned against it with that grin. 
> 
> Soon enough it was routine: wake up, check his phone, read Kuroo’s texts, smile, blame it on how early it was and how nice the sun felt. Go to the cafe, his or Kuroo’s, deal with his noisy friends, and talk to the man with permanent bed head that made his heart race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two babyyyyyy, let's goooooooo
> 
> I wrote this in a coffee induced haze (I'm very tired) so I apologize SINCERELY if it sucks 
> 
> Enjoy the fluff

**Kuroo** 6:13

_I’m stopping by later, jsyk_

_it’s not gonna be early, so you actually have to act happy to see me_ :)

_ooh, I have to tell you about the book I read this weekend_

The next month passed in a blur of early mornings and glowing cat eyes and long conversations in little gray and blue bubbles. Kenma became a regular at Kuroo’s cafe on Wednesdays and Saturdays and sometimes he even came early in the morning before they opened. Kuroo did the same. He always ordered the same thing. And he would always talk about something, whether it was college or books or his plans to travel one day. 

Kenma began to associate a certain spot at the counter with Kuroo, due to how much he leaned against it with that grin. 

Soon enough it was routine: wake up, check his phone, read Kuroo’s texts, smile, blame it on how early it was and how nice the sun felt. Go to the cafe, his or Kuroo’s, deal with his noisy friends, and talk to the man with permanent bed head that made his heart race. 

  
  


* * *

**Kuroo** 5:34am

_okay, so I know it’s early, but you’re not allowed to be mad cause it’s wednesday so I know you didn’t go to sleep last night_

_anyways, stop by before we open, I want you to try this new drink_

_akaashi is here, since I know you two are basically in love_

_I’m kinda jealous kitten, but I’ll deal with my heartbreak quietly if you come try this_

Kitten. It had become a thing, whether Kenma liked it or not. Which he did. He’d asked about the nickname once, but Kuroo had just shrugged and waved a hand and smiled and said, “You remind me of a cat.” And despite all of Kenma’s complaining, he knew he’d be sad if Kuroo ever stopped calling him that. 

It was nice. It made him happy. 

Just because he liked cats though. He blamed it on how much he liked cats. 

  
  


* * *

**Kuroo** 4:45pm

_kenmmmaaaaaaaaaaa, call me so I can tell you about the shitty movie I just watched_

_it was so bad it’s honestly just funny_

_pretty sure bokuto is dead, also. did akaashi say something to him??_

_yeah he’s dead_

_now call meeeee_

That had become a thing too. “Call me.” 

“Call me so I can tell you about my friends.” 

“Call me so I can complain about Atsumu and his fucking guitar.” 

“Call me and tell me about your favorite video game.” 

Kenma had always hated talking on the phone. It was awkward and uncomfortable and he just didn’t like it. But with Kuroo… it was easy. He made it so _easy,_ just like the first day Kenma had come into his cafe. Kuroo, with his voice and his eyes and his horribly real laugh. 

He made it easy, and it didn’t take a genius to realize that Kenma was falling, no matter how many things he blamed. 

  
  


* * *

Kuroo was laughing his laugh as Kenma sat on the countertop and swung his lugs, heels gently bumping against the glass case. Oikawa was spinning Iwaizumi around the shop, flour in both of their hair. Kuroo was trying to wipe down tables, but Iwaizumi kept tripping and apparently that was just too funny. Akaashi stood behind Kenma, fingers tapping a rhythm against the counter next to Kenma’s leg. 

“Oh, I forgot to ask,” Akaashi began. Kenma hummed, still watching Kuroo as he watched Iwaizumi and Oikawa. There was something different to his smile so early in the morning. Did he know that? Did anyone else notice? “Were the cupcakes from last week any good? I tried something new with the frosting.” 

“They were great. They’re always great, you don’t even have to ask,” Kenma said. 

Akaashi snorted a small laugh; his thanks. It was probably the only quiet thing Kenma would hear for the rest of the morning, because a face appeared at the door. Oikawa broke from Iwaizumi immediately and sprinted to it, throwing it open. Iwaizumi watched him, coughed a bit. His cheeks were bright pink. 

The minute the man was inside the store, he was barrelling for the counter. 

“Akaashi!” He yelled. 

Kenma barely scrambled out of the way before Bokuto vaulted over the counter and grabbed Akaashi. Akaashi was laughing his soft laugh as he hugged Bokuto back. It was sweet. Well, _they_ were just sweet. Kenma had actually been there to witness Bokuto’s early-morning confession, after months of pining. It had been nothing but hugs and yelling in the shop since then. 

He felt a hand on his arm and turned, looking up at Kuroo. He was smiling at his friends, then at Kenma. And god, Kenma didn’t want to admit it, but Kuroo looked so beautiful and his eyes were so bright and Kenma’s heart could have broken in two or been pumping a mile a minute.

“One of these days, he’s just gonna knock you over,” Kuroo said. Kenma shrugged. 

“I hope so, then I can sue.” 

“Kenma! You traitor!” Bokuto responded, finally having let Akaashi go. He was staring at Kenma now, looking betrayed, amusement glittering in his gold eyes. Kenma stuck his tongue out. 

“Oh, you can’t blame him, Bo,” Oikawa cooed. He was brushing flour off of Iwaizumi, helping the shorter man fix his apron. Iwaizumi was still blushing furiously. Sometimes it was almost comical how in love he was, no matter how gruff he acted. “You’re a brute.”

“I am incredibly sophisticated, thank you very much,” Bokuto said, sniffing. “Tell him, ‘Kaashi.” 

Akaashi was silent, hand over his mouth, hiding a grin that Kenma had seen in the mirror sometimes. 

Bokuto gasped and Oikawa laughed. 

It hit Kenma then, like a sack of bricks, as he looked around the tiny shop. Their own little world, so early in the morning, sun pouring through the windows. It hit him that this was what it felt like to be _happy,_ that these people, inexplicably, were his friends. And sure, the people at his own cafe were his friends too, but he’d known them forever. And only Suga really understood him. 

Here… they got it. They had come to realize, over a month and a week, when Kenma needed quiet. When to give him space. What to look for in his expression to know how to make his coffee. 

Maybe that was why he felt so happy with them. 

Maybe it was just Kuroo. 

“Ooh, kitten, I forgot! You put out a new drink today, didn’t you?” Kuroo asked, nudging him with an elbow. Sparks roiled through Kenma at the touch. Any bit of contact felt like fire. _Kuroo_ was like fire: steady and burning and bright. “Gonna pull in more customers than me today?”

Kenma scoffed. 

“I pull in more customers than you everyday.” 

“I’ll make Oikawa and Akaashi stand in the window all day long.” 

“Exploiting their good looks is cheating.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Oikawa called from across the store, where he was putting sodas into a little fridge. Kenma wished he had something to throw at him, but he didn’t want to ruin the flowers sitting next to him, so he just flipped Oikawa off. 

Oikawa laughed and turned away. Iwaizumi shot Kenma an approving look. 

Kuroo smiled again as Kenma hopped off the counter. He needed to be at his shop at least fifteen minutes before they opened, and he didn’t like leaving Terushima in charge. 

“Leaving me so soon?” Kuroo asked, voice taking on that teasing note. Kenma flicked his arm. It might have just been an excuse to touch him. Kenma was making a lot of those lately. 

“Would you trust Teru to open a store on his own?” 

“Absolutely not,” Kuroo answered instantly. 

That was the funny thing, Kenma realized. They’d spent so much time with each other in the last month that Kenma’s friends had become Kuroo’s and Kuroo’s had become Kenma’s. That Kuroo knew Terushima enough to tease him like this. That Kenma felt good here, with these people. It was a funny thing, but wonderful. It was... nice.

It was all so nice.

Kenma shot Kuroo a smile. He’d caught himself smiling so much more lately. Kuroo brought it out; it was impossible to look at him and not want to shout at the top of his lungs how happy Kenma was when he was with him. 

“I’ll see you later, Kuroo.” 

“Actually, about later,” Kuroo stopped Kenma by grabbing his hand. Kenma’s heart might have skipped a beat. What was this? What had Kuroo done to him? And why did he not ever want the feeling to go away? “You should come over. I found a movie that we can make fun of.”

“Why don’t you watch it and text me about it like always?” 

Kuroo shrugged. 

“Figured you’d wanna meet my cat finally. And those two,” he pointed at Akaashi and Bokuto, “are going out, so I’ll be alone. Please, kitten?” 

What was this? 

Kenma nodded without even thinking about it. His heart was fluttering in his chest like it wanted to crawl up his throat and fly away, like it wanted to paint his insides with color. There was something gentler in Kuroo’s expression beyond the cocky grin that was splitting Kenma’s heart in two. 

Was this what love felt like? Like coffeeshops and morning sunshine and the brightest laugh in the world? 

Kuroo let him go, waving. Kenma went on autopilot, his feet carrying him to the door, his arm raising on pure instinct in return. Everything in him was buzzing as the bell jingled his leaving, from that touch to that question to the look in Kuroo’s eyes. Buzzing like a thousand summertime bees that gathered in the cherry blossom trees in front of Kuroo’s shop. 

Outside, the sunshine swallowed the world in orange and yellow, and Kenma had run out of things to blame for the way he smiled when he thought of how Kuroo’s hand felt covering his own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh this one was short too, I'm sorrryyyyyyyyy
> 
> I'll try and get out another chapter tomorrow, I might extend it to 4 chapters depending on how much I get done and how inspired I get
> 
> But yeah hope you enjoyed all our ships coming to life, thanks for reading! < 3

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty, there's that, hope you liked it. Strap in for some grade A fluff next chapter. It'll be some teeth rotting stuff. Cavity inducing. All that. Anyways, I have a Sakuatsu fic in the works, but it's taking me a bit longer due to lack of motivation and my inability to figure out Sakusa Kiyoomi's character. I'll try to get that done after this one.  
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter might be out in an hour or tomorrow, who even knows with me. (Also I'll edit the tags as we go!)  
> < 333


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